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Early Head Start

No cuts to Early Head Start funding

Early Head Start supports the healthy development of infants and toddlers living in poverty to ensure that all children have the same opportunities to succeed. Young children in poverty are at risk of falling behind starting at birth, and Early Head Start helps. But Early Head Start reaches only 10% of eligible children and families. Reaching more families with proven services to support positive early development is important to promote school readiness and lifelong success.

 

Take Action

Ensure that Early Head Start and other programs babies need are top priorities this Congress by contacting your policymakers now.

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Early Head Start, part of Head Start, is a national program focused on early care, education, and family support for infants and toddlers living in poverty—ensuring children are on a solid path from the earliest age to reach their full potential. Early Head Start not only offers babies safe care and crucial developmental services, but also promotes economic security, connecting parents with education, training, and employment,, strengthening families and boosting local economies.

Babies need Congress to

Oppose cuts to—and increase investments in—Head Start, including Early Head Start, so that more parents have the opportunity to give their babies a strong start in life.

Early Head Start is a critical support for babies and their families. Learn more about what’s at stake if Congress fails to invest in Early Head Start.

TELL ME What’s At Stake 

What it could mean for babies:

With additional funding, Early Head Start could serve more infants and toddlers, ensuring babies develop essential skills they need to prepare for school, and more families become self-sufficient. Expanding Early Head Start helps lay a strong foundation for babies, boosting learning, language, health, and behavioral development.

In a rigorous study, Early Head Start showed positive impacts across a broad set of factors, including boosting babies’ learning, language, health, and behavior.

Nearly 1 in 5 infants and toddlers live in poverty and are eligible for Early Head Start.

Early Head Start only reaches 11% of eligible infants and toddlers.

Advocacy Tools & Resources

Building Strong Foundations: Read this brief for information on how comprehensive approaches like Early Head Start support infants, toddlers, and families.

25 Years of Early Head Start: Watch this video to learn more about the program and its impact on the lives of babies and their families over the years.

State of Babies Yearbook: 2023: Use national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers to call on federal, state, and local policymakers to improve outcomes for babies and families.